Fundamental Needs
by Amarielah
Summary: On a whim that even she herself barely understands, Komugi asks for a reward when the Ant King strikes up their wager. Desire is something new to her, just as the nature of her desire is new to the King, and the nature of their relationship changes forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.

 **Fundamental Needs**

Chapter One

"9-5-1, marshal." She heard the echo as he placed the Gungi piece on the board, her mind racing through countless counter-moves. "For this match..."

"Hmm?" There was something about his tone that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It wasn't a bad feeling, though.

"We should make a wager."

"A wager?" she asked, hesitantly. She knew that people sometimes gambled on Gungi, but it wasn't something she'd ever considered doing herself. She always had a wager of her own, after all

"Correct," he replied. "If you win, I shall grant you any request."

"Anything...I request." What an odd thought. Truly, it was difficult to process. "Anything..."

"However," he continued, cutting off her confused rambling. "If you lose, I shall take your left arm."

She crossed her arms over her chest, mulling over his words. "My left arm..." She ruffled her hair in frustration. "My left arm..." The King was much too generous, she thought. It didn't feel right, to offer him such stingy terms. "Should I take it?"

"Why do you hesitate?"

At last, she came to a decision. "Is it alright if I offer what I normally bet, instead?"

"And what do you normally bet?"

"My life," she said, feeling her previous anxiety recede. Her life wasn't worth much at all, but it was probably worth more than her left arm, which she could easily stand to lose.

"I do not understand," he said. "Explain yourself."

"Gungi _is_ my life. Professional Gungi players, even national champions, make but a pittance. It's only after becoming world champion that you receive a meaningful reward. And you can only achieve this rank by never losing a single match. I come from a family of twelve, and I'm the main breadwinner." She smiled, a little sheepishly. "So you see, I'll become nothing but a burden if I ever lose. In fact, I'll become garbage. As such, when I set my sights on becoming a professional Gungi player, I decided that I would end my life if it ever came to that." Her smile fell away. "But...that could actually be a problem."

"How so?" he asked, his voice oddly subdued.

"Well, when I lose, I'll become garbage. So all I'll be offering you for your victory is garbage. That would be a terrible insult."

"That doesn't bother me." And she could tell that it really didn't. He was a gracious man. "I'm more interested in learning what you'd want if you win."

She frowned, wracking her brain for something she could say besides Gungi. All her life, all she'd ever really thought about was Gungi. She'd never really wanted anything more than to support her family with Gungi.

But no, she thought - that wasn't completely true. There _was_ something else: a fragile, quivering thing at the back of her mind. The vestiges of a wish she'd had a very, very long time ago. But now, this great man was offering to make it come true, and all she had to offer in return was her life.

Her worthless, burdensome life. Truly, he was being cheated.

At length, she said, "I-in that case, I'd want for you to hold me."

"...What?" She could hear the confusion in his voice, even held in check by his usual stoicism. From her right, the room's other occupant made a sound of surprised indignation.

Her cheeks heated. "I know I'm not worthy of it," she said. "But it's the only thing I can think of besides another game of Gungi." She hadn't been held in ever so long. Not since she was a very small child.

"You could ask for anything," he said, his confusion even more evident now. "Absolutely anything. And yet you choose _this_?"

She frowned, considering the question. "I think...if you held me, I could die with no regrets," she said, a strange longing pooling like syrup in her chest. She liked his voice so much. What would it be like, to hear it up close?

The King was silent for a few tense moments, and Komugi hoped desperately that he wouldn't revoke the offer. She knew that his touch was far more valuable than her life. She knew that she was being presumptuous.

Still, she _wanted_.

"Leave us," said the King, the direction of his voice letting her know that he intended the command for his royal guardsman.

"B-but, Your Highness-"

"Silence." Although the command came with no increase in volume, it still carried the impression of a shout. "I will not repeat myself."

"...As you wish," said the King's servant, and soon Komugi heard his footfalls growing increasingly distant. Truthfully, she was glad for it. She much preferred when they were alone.

There was yet more silence, and then: "Once again, I am the one who is flustered." He chuckled: a deep, rich sound that sent tingles up Komugi's spin. "I suppose it's fitting, considering what a petty tactic it was. I should have known better." His voice softened. "As an apology, I shall fulfill your request regardless of the outcome. Our wager is off."

Happiness swelled inside her, her entire body alight with anticipation. "Thank you so much, Supreme Leader!"

She waited for him to announce his opening move, eager for both the game and the aftermath.

"...You may approach me," he said, at length. "This activity requires close proximity, does it not?"

Oh. He was going to do it _now_. Flushing in mingled embarrassment and excitement, Komugi said, "Y-yes!" and began to crawl toward him, using the Gungi board as a landmark to steer herself. She felt something pressing gently against her back, as if to guide her. It wasn't an arm.

A tail, then. Was he a youkai, like in the fairy stories her grandmother used to tell? And if so, why would an immortal creature be interested in playing Gungi with a snotty, blind, awkward mortal like her?

All of those questions fled from her mind as he grabbed her by the wrist, the touch sending shockwaves throughout her entire body. She couldn't remember the last time anybody had touched her, let alone with such gentleness. And then she was pressed up against something smooth and warm, his arms encircling her body. Slowly, almost shyly, he tightened the embrace, and she could feel the barest hint of a tremor where her cheek was resting against his chest.

And it must've been his chest, because she could feel his heartbeat. Slow - almost frighteningly so - but unmistakable. His skin was warm and incredibly smooth. Not hard, but not quite soft. Wholly inhuman. She didn't resist the urge to run one of her hands over more of that strange, wonderful skin, feeling the outlines of his abdominal muscles through the tips of her fingers.

She heard him gasp, felt his body go rigid against her, and pulled her hand away. "S-sorry, Supreme Leader. Your skin just feels so nice. I'll stop if it bothers you."

He was breathless when he finally spoke. "It...wasn't unpleasant."

She felt so warm, so safe, so tingly all over. Like the time she'd accidentally drank out of her mother's special bottle that she kept in the back of the cupboard. He smelled earthy and spicy - alien, but in a good way. In an amazing way. Emboldened by euphoria, she asked, "Can I touch your face, Supreme Leader?"

"If you wish," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. Surely this was too much. Surely, she was dreaming.

She slid her hands up from his chest, feeling his vest brush against them. Up, up, over his collarbones, his slender neck, until she finally reached his jaw. The skin here was softer, more supple, his cheeks and chin lacking any stubble. She ran the tips of her fingers over his nose, feeling the ridge of what appeared to be a shell when she reached the top. She followed that ridge, which covered his forehead, down to his ears. These felt human, save for a piece of hanging flesh that extended past his earlobes.

She waited for a few seconds, then, for him to stop her. But he didn't, so she gave into the overwhelming impulse to trace his lips with her right index finger.

They were the softest, warmest part of him. And oh, she _wanted_.

All the while, he trembled ever-so-slightly, breathy sounds escaping from the back of his throat. She could hear his tail swaying to and fro.

"Is it normal," he asked, "for humans to touch in this way?" His voice was somehow deeper than before; she could feel it buzzing through her, making her shiver.

"I don't know," she admitted, almost cringing at the strained wobble in her voice. "I-I think so? Depending on the person."

"And what conditions must be met in a person, for such contact to be normal?"

She swallowed thickly, blushing furiously. "If you c-care for them." she said.

He ran a hand over the top of her head, the touch soft and experimental. He had only four fingers, she noted. "Do you care for me?"

"Y-yes!" she replied, a little too loudly. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears. More softly, she said, "I'm presumptuous, I know. But...you've been so nice to me, and playing Gungi with you makes me so happy." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you, for holding me, and for letting me touch you. Thank you so much, Supreme Leader!"

"You need not thank me," he said. He released his embrace and brought his hands up to her face, following her example. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as his fingers brushed over her skin. "This pleases me."

She didn't know what to say, so she allowed herself to bask in the sensation of his gentle caresses. After a while, he slid his arms around her again, and her head lulled against his chest. "Do you want to play another match?" she asked. Playing Gungi was the only thing that could make this moment even better, she thought.

"Perhaps another time," he said softly. "I shall continue holding you, for now."

"Alright," she breathed, sniffing. Did she really deserve to be this happy, she wondered. Did she really deserve this kindness?

As his warmth enveloped her like a blanket, though, all of her doubts drifted away from her, like clouds on a breeze. Soon, there was nothing but the two of them, and the warmth, and his strange, wonderful scent.

Vaguely, she became aware of his voice filtering through the pleasant haze that was descending on her mind. "What is you name?"

"Komugi," she murmured. "May I also ask for yours?"

He didn't answer, but that was his right. He just continued to hold her, as he'd said he would.

She slept.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Warnings for mentions of childhood abuse.

 **Fundamental Needs**

Chapter Two

It occurred to him, as he held Komugi's sleeping form in his arms, that he hadn't been touched since his birth.

Indeed, it hadn't ever crossed his mind that it was something lacking in his admittedly brief existence. Hunger, though, was something he understood. Hunger had been everpresent since before he'd emerged from his cocoon.

This feeling was akin to it, and yet wholly different.

Parts of him still tingled where her fingers had brushed over him, aching for those soft, weak hands to return. Every point of contact between them only made him wish that she was even closer. He longed to be enveloped by her, though he knew it to be physiologically impossible.

But unlike his hunger for flesh, this longing wasn't entirely unpleasant. There was a sweet edge to this want that she'd kindled within him - a warmth, blooming in his chest and spreading outward.

Idly, he ran his hand over the top of her head, feeling the coarse texture of her hair. He could tell that it was badly tangled, and in dire need of washing. Even so, he enjoyed the sensation immensely.

It did however raise the question of whether she'd bathed since she'd arrived.

Unlikely, he decided; he'd given her no time to bathe.

Nor had she gotten enough rest, judging from how deeply she slumbered now. Likely, she'd also not been adequately fed.

He found it vexing, in truth. Of course she lacked composure, when he'd given her no time to groom or nourish herself. It was a testament to her expertise that she could still play Gungi at such a high level in her current state.

He'd put her at a disadvantage, however unintentionally, and she'd still bested him.

Indeed, it was evident now that she had suffered quite grievously since she'd arrived. But she had not once complained, nor shown any sign of losing her fortitude. And, beyond even her lack of whining, she'd bestowed this precious gift upon him. Shown him this new way of engaging with his existence.

For he had known of nothing but hunger and boredom before he'd met her, punctuated by brief glimpses of triumph and euphoria. But here, with this sleeping human in his arms, he felt...something else. Contentment? Happiness? Truthfully, he wasn't sure.

He just knew that it pleased him greatly.

 _Komugi_ pleased him greatly.

And really: wasn't that all that mattered?

* * *

"Before we play, you will eat."

He'd been on-edge after she'd left him the day before, and had spent a truly absurd amount of time considering how he would go about correcting his previous error. Pitou had obeyed his commands without a hint of hesitance, while Pouf had been visibly upset. He was beginning to notice a pattern of hostility from Pouf on the matter of their human guest.

Still, both had provided him with everything he'd requested.

"It smells so good..." she said, resting her hands in her lap. It didn't smell particularly appetizing to him, but his tastes differed greatly from that of humans. How she could smell anything to begin with when her nose was so visibly running was beyond him.

That was another matter to look into, he decided.

"Eat," he commanded.

She crawled up to the low table of food which was there in place of the Gungi board, exploring the various dishes with her hands. "Is this really all for me?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I am correcting an oversight."

Her bottom lip began to tremble as her face bunched up in a most peculiar fashion. And then she burst into tears, her body wracked with loud, uncontrollable sobs.

The King's scrambled to his feet, eyes wide, and was at her side in seconds. "Why do you cry?!" he demanded.

"I-it's just-" she hiccuped, "Nobody's ever been this nice to me before!"

He stood there frozen for a moment, staring at her. She'd thrown her head back and was sobbing in earnest, fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

Moving on pure instinct, he sat down and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. Immediately, she buried her face into his chest, her shrill sounds becoming muffled against his skin.

It pleased him that he could help to soothe her, he realized. The fact that she was so overwhelmed from such a pathetic gesture pleased him far less. He very much doubted that either of her predecessors would have been so moved.

Once she had calmed down sufficiently, he said, "Will you eat, now?"

"Y-yes," she mumbled into his chest.

Now that they were touching again, he wasn't eager for the contact to end. A solution occurred to him. "You may remain here while you do so, if you wish."

"Yes please!" she said, more energetically.

He felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards, and he used his tail to push the table closer to the both of them.

And so he held her as she ate, soaking in the sensation of her closeness.

"Thank you for the meal," she said, after some time had passed. He had lost himself and didn't know precisely how much time that was.

Doing his best to regain some measure of focus, he said, "Next, you will bathe." Then he stood, shifting her into his arms so that he could carry her to the large tub of water on the far right of the room.

Once he'd set her down, Komugi's cheeks had gone a shade of pink that he found rather fetching. "Will you...be coming in with me?"

He wasn't sure why his stomach did a little flip at the question. It was a decidedly odd sensation. "I was under the impression that such rituals are undertaken alone."

Redness was spreading up to her ears, now. "M-mostly. But it isn't unusual to do it with somebody you care for." She grasped at the front of her dress, the fabric bunching in trembling fists. "I would like it, if you joined me."

"Very well," he said, taken-aback by how much the prospect pleased him. He'd had no need of bathing, so that alone was a novelty.

She turned away from him and began to remove her clothing. He followed suit, though his lone vest was all that he had to discard.

He was about to lift her up again, but she preempted it by walking to the tub and climbing gingerly inside. He followed her, and soon they were standing together in the water, steam rising around them. At last, he looked down at the flesh that had previously been concealed by Komugi's clothing.

Judging by the way her ribs poked out of her skin, she was suffering from chronic malnutrition. He could see scars, as well: on her arms and legs, on her back. The ones on her back were especially noteworthy because they didn't look accidental.

Her hair was now loose, so he brushed it aside and pressed his hand over the puckered, slightly raised skin, an unfamiliar feeling boiling up within him. "How did you come to possess these scars?" he asked.

"My father," she said. "I was always making him angry. Getting in the way and breaking things. He would drink sometimes..." He felt the way her body trembled beneath his hand. This memory was causing her distress. "He h-hasn't done it since I became world champion."

The King was intimately familiar with the sensation of annoyance, but this emotion welling up in his gut was entirely new. His body felt hot, his throat felt tight, and he was fairly certain that he would attack anyone who dared to enter the chamber.

Even stronger was the impulse to make her discomfort go away.

He settled for kneeling in the water and pulling her back against him, resting his chin upon her shoulder as his arms secured her by the midriff. "You have suffered too much, Komugi," he said, unable to keep his voice steady. She felt like an anchor in the maelstrom of peculiar, overwhelming emotions that crashed through him, keeping him from being swept away in their current.

"...I deserved it, though," she murmured. "He didn't ask to be burdened with a blind child, and I was always causing him trouble. He could've chosen to kill me when I was born, after all. He was unreasonably kind to let me live."

"Silence!" he commanded, even as he held her tighter. "I forbid you to say such things."

"You're too kind to me, Supreme Leader," she said softly. "I'm not worthy of it."

He hated that title, he decided. " _I_ decide who is worthy," he said, dangerously low. "And I have judged _you_ to be worthy, Komugi. You shall heed my words or face the consequences."

There was a pause, and then: "...The consequences?"

"If you disobey me, we will not play Gungi today," he said, after an even longer pause. The thought of harming her made that strange, hot feeling return. It was no longer an option.

She made a thoughtful sound, leaning back into his embrace. "I think I would prefer losing an arm," she said, though the levity of her tone made it clear that it was a jest.

He was fairly certain it was a jest, at least.

She let out a sudden gasp, and he realized that he'd begun to to trace his fingers up the underside of her left arm unconsciously. The skin there was unbelievably soft. He enjoyed the sensation of it beneath his hands, though the sounds she made were even more enticing. A heat of a far more pleasant kind rose ever more fiercely with every breathy, helpless sound he drew from her lips.

He realized, then, how his plan to fluster her with deadly wagers had not only been petty, but foolhardy. It was here in his arms that he could fluster her best.

If he had taken this arm, he never would have felt its softness, or heard the noises he could draw from her by caressing it.

If his mother had consumed her, or if she had gone through the selection process, or if her own father had chosen not to let her live, then he never would have met her at all.

"...Are you alright, Supreme Leader?"

It was only then that he realized that he was trembling, some other strange emotion causing his throat and chest to tighten. And his voice was strange, when he spoke; he had heard its like in underlings and humans, but never from himself. "It merely occurs to me," he began, pausing to try and swallow down the obstruction in his throat, "that I am unreasonably pleased that you exist."

He anticipated another denial of her worthiness, but it didn't come. Instead, she said, "That's how I feel about you as well."

An impulse struck him, then, and he leaned his head down to press his lips against the nape of her neck.

"Oh," she breathed, her head lulling to the side. He had no idea where the desire had come from, but he enjoyed the outcome immensely. He slid his lips further up her neck, reveling in the feel of her skin beneath them.

He wasn't aware how much his tail was moving until he heard it splash loudly into the water.

"I should w-wash," she said, breathlessly.

Reluctantly, he pulled back. "I will do it," he said.

"But- I'm not worth-" her protests were cut off by a moan as his lips returned to her neck. This was a much more efficient way of stopping her from saying such useless things, he thought.

"It would please me," he said. Again, his voice sounded strange, rumbling deep in his chest. "Would it please you?"

"...Yes," she murmured, shivering against him.

"Then that is all that matters," he said.

From that point on, she made no mention of her unworthiness.


	3. Chapter 3: The First Ripple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.

Notes: This is something of a side-chapter, exploring the consequences of the previous events. Next chapter will return to its focus on the developing relationship between Komugi and Meruem.

 **Fundamental Needs**

 **Chapter Three: The First Ripple**

Knov had reached the desert outside the palace, and could proceed no further.

He could feel the En of the Royal Guard named Pitou, just within reach. The depth of malice contained within it left him shaking, sweat soaking through his shirt and into his suit jacket. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run - as far and as fast as possible.

It was only with a supreme effort that he managed to crouch down and set the exit for his Nen pocket dimension, his legs trembling so badly that he almost lost his balance. It wouldn't be good enough, to execute their plan. Not even close.

But it would have to do.

* * *

"So tell me: what is my name?" the King asked his Royal Guards, after reciting each of their names in turn.

Pouf felt unrest come to life in the pit of his stomach. "With all due respect, Your Highness: you are the king. The one and only _true_ king. You _have_ no other name. There are currently impostors who claim to be kings, but we shall eliminate them all."

By the king's expression, Pouf could tell that his answer had been unsatisfactory. Shame joined the rising apprehension. "That assumed the others _can_ be eliminated," said the King. "'King' is a title, and a title can be bestowed. It is not the same thing as a name." The King shifted his gaze to the left. "Your thoughts, Youpi?"

Pouf had to fight back tears, that the King was seeking council from that moron after dismissing his own. What a failure he was!

"Your question is far beyond my capacity," said the red-skinned Guard, which made Pouf feel marginally better. "As much as I'd like to answer - I just don't know."

"Pitou," prompted the King.

"I'm sure whatever your feelings are on the matter, they greatly outweigh my own," they said. It was another non-answer. Pouf was proud for at least having concrete thoughts to share, even if they had been dismissed. "If I could make a suggestion: why not select a name for yourself? Something that pleases you."

The King narrowed his eyes, and Pouf was certain for moment that he was going to scold Pitou as well. But instead, he said, "Very well, then."

The shame was back with a vengeance. It was such a self-evident solution, in hindsight - yet he had failed to think of it. Hastily, he interjected, "You will have to wait until after the Selection is completed to choose your name, Highness. For the time being, our top priority is to finish all the preparations by tomorrow morning."

He realized belatedly that it sounded an awful lot like he'd just given the King an order, and he flinched inwardly. If the King killed him for such insolence, it was only fitting. But the King did not strike him, then. He was staring out into the distance, instead, a shadow passing over his eyes.

"Is something the matter, Your Highness?" Pouf asked, knowing that he was pushing his luck. "If you have any more concerns, we will do everything in our power to address them. That is, after all, why we are here."

After a brief silence, the King spoke. "Komugi has shown me how humans express affection for one another."

Pouf's mouth twisted downward at the now-familiar name. The King had uttered it once before, when he'd instructed Pitou and himself to make arrangements for the blind gungi player's care. That the King had even bothered to learn her name, let alone take a personal interest in her well-being, made bile rise up from the back of Pouf's throat.

Pouf said nothing, fearing that speaking would result in something truly foolish.

The King continued: "Humans, it seems, find meaning outside of their strength. In their bonds with one-another."

"I'm not sure I take your meaning, sire," Pouf managed, careful to regulate his tone.

The King raised his hand up before him, examining it. "It is my strength that makes me King, but strength is not a purpose in its own right." The hand dropped back to his side. "Pitou."

"Yes, sire?"

"If Komugi were to be Sorted tomorrow, would she survive the process?"

"No, sire. We will select only those who can serve as soldiers for our cause. That is, those who have the potential for excellence in combat."

Pouf felt his throat close up in horror. Mentally, he begged the King not to continue with this line of inquiry.

The King walked towards the edge of the balcony. "Komugi has demonstrated that the measure of one's existence need not be confined to metrics such as strength."

No, no, _no_. This was all wrong.

"During our journey here, I ended a child's life," the King said. "He could never have hoped to surpass me in strength, and yet I suspect he had a greater sense of purpose than I. It is for that very reason that he didn't wish to die. And yet...I snuffed out his life on a whim."

Pouf could no longer hold back the words. "Surely you don't mean to imply that you...regret your actions, sire?"

"I do not regret that I killed the child," replied the King. "I merely find it vexing that I had no purpose in doing so." He turned around, his cold gaze falling on the three Guards. "And that I see no purpose for the Selection, either."

Pouf thought he just might vomit. This was all that damn human's fault! He should've killed her when he'd first had the impulse, consequences be damned.

"We serve at your command, sire," said Pitou. "What is it that you wish us to do?"

"I need time to deliberate," replied the King. "We shall put the Selection on hold."

It was at that moment that Pouf lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.

 **Fundamental Needs**

Chapter Four

 _He recognizes that he is in a memory._

 _He is in a field, hunger churning in his belly, and there is a human child before him. Making a futile attempt to flee._

 _He feels nothing beyond that hunger, watching the child scramble for dear life. Not anticipation, nor anger, nor even amusement. He is empty inside, when he crushes the boy's skull._

 _Except now, when the boy falls to the damp earth, his form is replaced by Komugi's. Even so, the King still crouches down to scoop out her brains. Her eyes are open, unseeing in a way that even her sightlessness has never been. Her brains are warm and soft in his fingers, on his tongue. They taste bitter. Rancid._

 _He turns away to vomit, stomach cramping and chest aching. He cannot bear to turn back - to see her lifeless body with its skull caved in. He has killed her, thinking her to be another. He has killed her, and he cannot undo it. He digs his fingers into the meat of his own legs, sinking them into the flesh._

 _Komugi is gone. He will never again face her across the gungi board; he will never again see her smile or blush or laugh or cry. He will never again make her tremble beneath his touch._

 _Komugi is gone, and the world is pain._

* * *

Awareness returned to him with a strange thumping in his chest. It took him a moment to realize that it must have been his heart, and another moment still to realize that he must have been asleep. The King didn't require rest very often, or for very long, so the experience of drifting off to sleep unawares was completely alien to him.

There was also a strange, squirming pain in his stomach, accompanied by a desperate desire to see Komugi. These feelings, too, were alien to him. Perhaps that was why he found them so difficult to resist.

He made his way to her chamber with inhuman speed, flinging the doors open with such force that they came off their hinges. He was greeted with the sight of Komugi, sitting on tucked knees, covering her head with her arms as a hawk pecked and scratched at her in earnest.

The pain in his stomach slithered like a serpent, an odd rushing noise in his ears, and he batted the creature away from her with his tail. Its body was cut in two by the blow, blood and guts splattering on the tiled floor.

"Why did you not call for help?" he demanded, voice much louder than he'd intended. He rushed to squat down beside her, hands trembling as her grasped her arm and drew it in to examine it. "You're covered in blood!" There were welts all over her body from the bird's talons, some already scabbing over, while rivulets of the viscous red liquid still welled up from others.

How easily she was harmed by a creature one fifth her size. What a fragile, breakable thing she was.

The realization caused the squirming in his stomach to slither up into his throat, making it difficult to draw breath. His eyes burned.

"It's early," she murmured. "I didn't want to wake anyone."

The words made his entire body go hot with that strange, overwhelming feeling that he'd only ever experienced once before. This time, though, there was no impulse for violence. Instead, his arms swept her up, as if of their own volition, cradling her to his chest. All at once, strength drained from his legs, and he toppled onto his side.

Komugi was still in his arms, though, warm and soft. He curled his body around hers, trembling, heart still pounding.

At last, the painful squirming in his stomach began to subside. "You are a precious guest," he murmured, unable to bring the customary force to his voice. "If you are ever in danger or pain, I forbid you to endure it in silence."

She was trembling now, as well, and he felt wetness against his chest. No wails accompanied the tears this time, however - and for some reason he couldn't quite parse, that made them all the more disturbing. "I d-didn't mean to trouble you, Supreme Leader," she said, voice wobbling.

"You will only cause me trouble if you come to harm," he replied, resisting the impulse to draw her in even more tightly. He didn't know how much control he had over his strength, with his body behaving so erratically. A thought struck him, then - so obvious in hindsight that it was truly baffling that it had not occurred to him previously. "You will remain at my side from now on."

He wouldn't need to be concerned that she was in danger, if she remained by his side. Nothing could possibly harm her.

"I'll be a bother," she said softly, sniffling. "Everybody always gets annoyed with me, eventually. I don't..." She let out a muted sound that might have been a sob. "I'm no good at anything but gungi. I never know the right thing to say or do. Everybody tells me that I'd be insufferable even if I wasn't blind."

The King frowned. "They are fools, then," he said. He didn't really know enough about humans to discern what it was about Komugi that would cause them such consternation. He could see them being initially misled by her outward demeanor, as he had been. But once he'd seen beyond it, it was clear that there was nothing bothersome about her. Perhaps humans resented excellence, or disliked the single-minded drive required to attain it. That would certainly explain why so many of them were mediocre. Another thought occurred to him.

"Could it be that you do not _wish_ to be in my presence?"

He was expecting an immediate, flustered dismissal of the possibility. Or perhaps it was what he _hoped_ for. But instead, she said, "...I guess the thought of being with you all time _is_ a bit scary." She quickly amended: "N-not that I find you scary, Supreme Leader. It's just that...I'm used to being alone. I don't know what it's like to _not_ be alone."

He found himself chuckling, in spite of the strange tightening in his belly. "You _should_ be afraid of me," he pointed out. "I am a predator, and more powerful than any human alive. I could kill you on a whim."

"If I was scared of everybody who could kill me on a whim, I'd never stop being afraid." He could feel her smile weakly against the skin of his chest. "Besides: if I knew that killing me would make you happy, I don't think I'd mind you doing it. Just as long as you played gungi with me one last time before you did."

For some reason, those words left him feeling mildly annoyed. "Have I not thoroughly established that it would _not_ make me happy?"

She made a noise of assent, and snuggled in closer of her own volition.

"Remain by my side, and see if you find it...pleasant," he said, after several minutes of simply soaking in her closeness. "If you do not, you may return to your solitude." It was a new sensation, this...accommodation. But he found that he didn't dislike it. He was confident that he could make her see the benefits of his company.

His Royal Guards were born to serve him, and they caused him no end of frustration. He needed no such mindless devotion from Komugi.

* * *

Her stomach growled upon their return to the throne room, and the King summoned Youpi to arrange some food for Komugi to eat.

"Are you not hungry, Supreme Leader?"

The King set her down on the cushion in front of the gungi board, though he regretted the loss of contact almost immediately.

"I do not require food as often as humans do," he replied. In truth, it was the nature of his food that allowed him to go so long without. The flesh of Nen users was nourishing in a way that normal humans were not.

It occurred to him, then, that Komugi did not know that his diet differed so drastically from her own. It was of no consequence, he decided.

"Can we play a game while we wait?" she asked.

"First, we must treat your wounds," he replied, and summoned Pitou.

They arrived promptly, bowing deeply. "How may I be of service, sire?"

His gaze fixed on the human girl sitting across from him. On the lessons that littered her body. "Komugi has sustained injuries," he said. "You will heal them."

Pitou straightened. "Doctor Blythe requires the use of all my Nen, sire. I cannot maintain En, or my puppets, while I use it."

"Your En is tiresome to begin with," the King said, not taking his eyes from Komugi. "I am more powerful than any human foolish enough to attempt an infiltration of this palace. In the unlikely event that they manage to do so in the minutes it will take you to fix Komugi, I will deal with them personally."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Pitou gave another bow. "I'll begin the treatment nyow."

Much to his chagrin, the King felt Pouf's En replacing Pitou's as they activated Doctor Blythe. He had sensed the other Royal Guard lurking outside the throne room ever since Pitou had arrived.

Pouf's shameful display earlier that morning had not been enough to halt his meddling, it seemed, thought it did apparently compel him not to show his face. Pouf was lucky that Komugi was present to take the edge off the King's temper.

"That feels strange," said Komugi, as Doctor Blythe began its ministrations.

"It shouldn't hurt," Pitou replied, gaze intent and unblinking. "But I can render you unconscious, if you'd prefer."

"It doesn't hurt!" Komugi squeaked hastily. "It feels like...buzzing, under my skin."

Pitou continued their work under the King's watchful eye. Youpi made a brief appearance to bring in Komugi's food, only to make a swift exit.

The King saw the blemishes on Komugi's body began to fade before his very eyes. "You will also heal any lingering damage from before the attack," he pronounced, when the only marks remaining were old scars.

Pitou's ears twitched. "I have already done so, sire." Their lips curled up at the corners. "Her blindness is caused by a congenital defect and would require a transplant to fix, but I dealt with some of the more troublesome scar tissue and corrected the badly-healed septum that was causing the problems with her nose."

Indeed, the King could see that Komugi's nose had ceased to run. The human girl took an experimental breath through that now-open pathway, let it out, and gave them both a wide, ecstatic smile. "Thank you so much, Lord Pitou! Supreme Leader!" She felt around her immediate vicinity - looking for her cane, he realized - then, failing to retrieve the item in question, pushed herself to her feet anyway and lurched in the King's general direction. Equal parts bemused and intrigued, he used his tail to guide her towards him, whereupon she flung her arms around him as tightly as her fragile body could muster.

If Pitou had any misgivings about the display, they kept it from showing on their face. Between their discretion, and the initiative they'd taken with Komugi's treatment, Pitou was quickly proving themself to be the least obnoxious of his Royal Guards.

"You have pleased me, Pitou," he said, feeling their En slide back into place. He returned Komugi's embrace, allowing her to nuzzle into his chest, and began to run his fingers through her hair - now clean and worn loose after their time together in the bath. It felt good between his fingers. "Now, leave us."

They gave one final bow, said, "I am grateful as always to be of service, sire," and departed.

Alone again with Komugi at last, the King allowed a small smile to spread across his face.


End file.
